Here is my summary of the interview between Oda and Watsuki in âRurouni Kenshin Exhibition official artbookâ published last week.
Other than this summary, they talked about manga technique about how to make good drawings.
Shortly after OP started (1997-2000), Oda told Watsuki that Zoro would become a one-eyed character in the future.
After hearing about it, Watsuki gave up his idea to create a one-eyed protagonist in Gun Blaze West that was supposed to be serialized soon.
Actually he wanted to avoid the situation that some audience may consider Oda stole Watuskiâs idea.
Watsuki says heâd like to know why Zoro has become one-eyed, but Oda doesnât answer this questionâŠ
Watsuki asks Oda about the rumor that OP will end in 5 years. Oda replies that someone over 40 years old shouldnât draw weekly serialization manga.
Itâs well known that Oda planned to finish OP in 5 years before serialization, but according to Watsuki, Oda told him before starting OP that he would finish it in 10 yearsâŠ
When Watsuki met Oda (19-20 years old) for the first time, he felt Oda looked younger than his age, so he was worried if Oda could do a decent job as an assistant.
But soon Watsuki realized there was nothing to worry.
Like the assistants (ex. Takehiko Inoue/Haruto Umezawa) in City Hunter studio, many assistants in Watsukiâs studio have succeeded as mangaka now.
This is thanks to editor Hisashi Sasaki (now working in VIz)âs plan that if he put promising young assistants together into one studio, they would compete with each other and grow up.
Oda and other assistants didnât complain when Watsuki scolded about their work because all of them trusted his personality.
Oda enjoyed reading Kenshinâs fight against Garden-Keepers. He started working as Watsukiâs assistant around the time when Hajime Saito appeared. Oda worked under Watsuki for 4 months.
Oda re-read Rurouni Kenshin before this interview, but he closed the volume with embarrassment when he saw a female character he drew as an assistant.
The character looked so Oda-ish that she stood out too much in the crowd. Watsuki describes she looks like Nami wearing Kimono rather than Rurouni Kenshin character.lol
This is because Oda had a strong belief that his drawings should be much different from other mangakas even when he worked as an assistant.
Oda didnât want his drawing influenced by other mangaka because otherwise his drawing originality would gradually fade away.
A hotel called âOda-yaâ appeared In Rurouni Kenshin chapter, but it was an idea from another assistant, not from Oda himself. lol
Watsuki drew Straw Hatsâ jolly roger in chapter 161 to celebrate OP serialization.
[hide]
[/hide]Oda is glad that Watsuki calls him âgeniusâ in this interview. When Watsuki read chapter 1, he was convinced that OP would become the best in popularity survey among Jump readers.
Especially he was impressed at Luffyâs words âIâm going to become the king of the pirates!â.
Watsuki explains that Japanese version of this phrase âKaizoku Ou ni ore wa naru æ”·èłçă«ăăăŻăȘăâ sounds way better than âOre wa Kaizoku Ou ni naru ăăăŻæ”·èłçă«ăȘăâ due to 7-5 pattern as seen in traditional Japanese poem although sadly this difference is lost in translation.
(TN: Luffyâs VA mentioned this difference before as well.)
When Oda drew chapter 1, he used a copy machine in Watsukiâs studio because Oda didnât have his own machine yet.
Oda moved from his hometown to Tokyo, near Watsukiâs house since he didnât know where to live.
Oda is only 5 years younger than Watsuki, and other assistants were around the same age as Oda.
He says it felt like they were all âcomradesâ including Watsuki rather than the relationship between master and apprentice.
Oda recalls he thought maybe it would be the happiest moment in his entire life.
Oda says Watsuki is similar to Kenshin in that Watsuki went super-serious mode only when drawing manga.
When Watsuki read âRomance Dawnâ, prototype of OP, he gave an advice to Oda that Luffyâs behavior should be improved so that audience can feel as if Luffy is acting on his own will.
Oda considers his drawing style of putting so much pressure on his pen is not appropriate for digital-drawing on a tablet.
Digital devices allow us to fix drawings so easily that Oda thinks he canât help spending too much time on fixing his drawings.
While Watsuki appreciates Rurouni Kenshin exhibition being held, he is kinda embarrassed because he thinks his drawings are not as attractive as professional illustrators.
This is why he has not told much about this event yet.
At the end of the interview, Oda praises, âYou have an amazing personality, Watsuki-sensei.
People love Rurouni Kenshin probably because of your seriousness toward your fans.Fans fully understand it, so they love Watsuki-sensei.
Hopefully you will draw manga forever.â
[hide]
[/hide]*I hope my English doesn't fail to convey the heartwarming atmosphere in their interview..